Family's thanks after four hurt in horror wall crash

The uncle of a young footballer badly hurt in a car crash that also left his mum in hospital said it's lucky nobody was killed.
Stephen Peters at the site of the accident yesterdayStephen Peters at the site of the accident yesterday
Stephen Peters at the site of the accident yesterday

Stephen Peters, 17, was airlifted to Royal Preston Hospital with serious head injuries after the taxi he was in lost control, colliding with a garden wall.

His mum, 39-year-old Kerry Peters, was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital with a broken arm and underwent surgery yesterday

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Stephen could now also be facing surgery to treat his injuries.

The car following the collisionThe car following the collision
The car following the collision

“I’m surprised anybody walked away from that crash,” Stephen Peters, 54, told The Gazette. “The whole side of the car was ripped off and it was facing the wrong way.

“My sister and nephew were in a bad way.

“Both were in a lot of pain.”

Stephen was on Devonshire Road heading north to Thornton, where his nephew and namesake was due to play for King Edward FC, as part of a convoy on Sunday morning.

The car following the collisionThe car following the collision
The car following the collision

He was around five cars behind the navy blue Chevrolet Cruze private hire taxi when traffic came to a sudden stop shortly before 10am, Stephen, of Lakeway, Layton, said.

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“I got out my car and saw everyone just running,” he said. “There was debris all over the street.”

The taxi had just overtaken a Renault Megane when it swerved to avoid a white car that began to pull out on to the road near Bromsgrove Avenue and lost control, police said.

It smashed into the wall before coming to a stop on a grass verge, resting against a pedestrian crossing sign.

But Stephen said that, amid the carnage, residents rushed out of their homes to offer help in the form of blankets and hot drinks.

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Others directed traffic while one young couple, who said they were trained medics, gave first aid until the emergency services arrived.

He said: “They kept him calm until the ambulance came.

“He was not really aware of what was going on.

“They were fantastic.

“Everyone was brilliant.

“I can’t thank them enough.”

Neighbour Bryan Rhodes, 66, was inside his home when the crash happened.

He said: “There was a bang and it sounded like an explosion to me.

“My wife had her phone in her hand so I told her to call for an ambulance.

“We just came out to see if we could help anyone.

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“We asked if anybody wanted a cup of tea, and brought out a towel for the taxi driver, who had been injured.

“The footballers had the traffic sorted out.”

Witnesses said the taxi driver was bleeding from a head wound and a third passenger in the car suffered minor injuries.

Police closed the road for the second time in 24 hours – a head-on collision also happened there on Saturday – while paramedics attended to both Stephen and Kerry.

A North West Air Ambulance helicopter was called and landed nearby to take Stephen to Preston, where he was treated for a broken cheekbone, cuts, and possible damage to his eyes.

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The Blackpool and The Fylde College student is understood to be recovering well.

Kerry, who lives with her son in Jeffrey Square, central Blackpool and works as a carer for his elderly mother, had two metal plates inserted into her arm yesterday morning.

After shutting the road to traffic from Millom Avenue to Bromsgrove Avenue, police carried out an investigation in the crash.

The road was reopened at 3.25pm.

Sgt Lee Campbell, of the Road Policing Unit, said: “I would appeal to anyone who witnessed the collision and has not already come forward to contact us.

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“We are particularly keen to speak to the occupants of the white vehicle that was pulling out of the junction with Bromsgrove Avenue and would urge them to get in touch.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101 quoting log 476 of October 9.‎

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